Chapter 10 - the new girl in town: part 3

23.
The creaking of the floorboards under her mother's heavy footsteps warned Annie of the woman's approach before she'd even laid a hand on her door. Her face flushed Maggie was breathing heavily as she waddled into her daughter's room. Probably, Annie thought, because she'd just lugged her 220 pound body all the way up the steep stairs from the bottom floor.

"Here sweetie," Maggie said, having caught her breath, a cheerful smile on her face as she handed her daughter a plateful of cookies and tall glass of milk; "figured you could probably use a little snack."

Annie met the sight of her mother's cookies, laden no doubt with as much butter and sugar as any recipe could fit, with a resigned sigh.

"Thanks mom," she said; "but I'm not really very hungry right now."

"That's fine dear," said Maggie. "Eat as many as you like, you can save the rest for later."

"Yeah, alright," said Annie.

Taking in the scent of her mother's warm, delicious cookies she looked at the woman and smiled.

"Thanks mom."

"You're welcome dear," said Maggie, pulling her daughter into a hug.

Putting her arms around her mom Annie felt them sink into her soft, shapeless flesh, her layers of warm pliable podginess yielding to even the slightest touch. Pulling away she took in the sight of the obese older woman. People always told her the two of them looked very much alike. Studying her mother's face she recognised her own features there, framed by chubby cheeks and a soft second chin.

"I'll just leave you with your little snack then," said Maggie, turning to walk out her daughter's door, each step setting new ripples running through her wide, wobbly buttocks.

As soon as her mom had closed the door behind her Annie's attention turned to the plate of cookies left on her bedside table. Sweet and crunchy with a centre of gooey chocolate, she wanted so badly to dig into them, to pack them into her belly until it was crammed nice and tight. The image of her own features mirrored in her mother's fat face would not, however, leave her be.

Annie shook her head. Much as she might long to just let herself pig out the price was too great. She'd heard how people talked about her mom. How they joked and laughed behind her back. She didn't want that to happen to her. Not anymore than it already had.

She didn't want to be the punch line of every fat joke her friends could think of. She wanted to be thin, to be pretty, to be noticed and respected. Something a crummy plate of cookies, however delicious, could never give her.

Even so Annie could feel the tempting treats work their magic. She knew she wasn't strong enough to resist. If she didn't get rid of the damn things she'd soon give in. Soon every last crumb would find itself inside her all too squishy tummy.

They were so delicious though. It really would be a shame to let them all go to waste...

24.
"Yes?" said Faye, a friendly smile on her face as she found Annie outside her door.

"Just wondering if you'd like some cookies and milk," said the tubby girl, holding a plate out towards Faye.

The slender little redhead's eyes lit up at the sight. Her mouth watering as the scent of Maggie's still warm cookies filled her nostrils.

"Well," she grinned; "if you're offering I guess it'd be rude to refuse."

Annie couldn't help but smile as she watched the girl take her first bite out of her mother's gooey, sugary, and utterly delicious treats. If Faye was intent to keep stuffing her face like a pig then she might as well take a bullet for Annie from time to time.

25.
Trudging up the hill through the cool night air Niall, as he so often did, found himself studying Faye. Moving with characteristic swiftness the girl had made short work of the steep incline of Auberlynne Hill. Though she'd quickly gotten herself to the henge at its top the climb up the slope had left her more than a little winded.

Watching as Faye stooped to catch her breath Niall found it a surprisingly strange sight. Suddenly it struck him; he'd never actually seen the girl out of breath before. He'd never seen her so much as break a sweat. Until now no challenge, no matter how great, had ever seemed enough to make Faye exhaust herself.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," Faye nodded; "just need a little rest."

Having reached the top of the hill Niall laid out a blanket beneath one of the smooth, ancient stones. As he and Faye both leaned their backs against its cool surface he unpacked his picnic basket, pouring Faye a cup of hot chocolate and handing her a pair of cinnamon rolls.

So, what do you think?" he asked, gesturing to the landscape that surrounded them.

"It's delicious," answered Faye, having just taken a sip of her cocoa.

"I meant the view dummy," Niall laughed.

"Well, that's good too I guess," Faye giggled.

As the two of them sat there, gazing at the tiny lights in the sky far above and the town far below, Faye found her gaze slowly drifting to the forest where the leaves on the trees had started ever so slightly to turn from green to yellow and brown.

"I think autumn's coming on," she said.